Sinn Féin - On Your Side

New beginning to policing remains "unfinished business" - Kelly

Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly, spokesperson on Policing and Justice, has said
that the vision of the new beginning to policing enshrined in the Good Friday
Agreement in 1998 remains "unfinished business". Mr Kelly was
speaking after the Oversight Commissioner for Policing published his 13th
report, and after Sinn Féin met yesterday with the Oversight Commissioner.

Mr Kelly said :

"This is the end of the first five year term of the Office of the Oversight
Commissioner. Sinn Fein has made huge advances in negotiations on policing and
justice during that time. However, there are outstanding issues, most
important of which is the transfer of powers on policing and justice. The
transfer of powers is critical to a new beginning to policing because it is
only in that context that policing and justice can be wrested away from
London and made democratically accountable

"Sinn Féin explained to the Oversight Commissioner the seriousness of the
outstanding negotiations to transfer powers on policing and justice. Earlier
this year, the British government revealed plans to change the role of MI5
in relation to policing in the 6 counties. These proposals will pre-empt the
transfer of powers and there is deep concern about what effect that will
have on making policing fully accountable. We cannot have a situation where
progress on one hand is being undermined on the other. All of this
vindicates the position Sinn Fein has taken in demanding to see the
legislative Act to transfer powers on policing and justice.

"The Oversight Commissioner‚s report highlights other outstanding problems
including plastic bullets, the Full ˆTime reserve, representativeness,
community policing, human rights , demilitarisation and the 'force within a
force'. Together, this is evidence of resistance to change in policing which
still pervades the PSNI and the NIO. For our part, Sinn Féin will pursue
proper policing and justice with all our energy.